Bluebird of Happiness

I made this Bluebird of Happiness quilt in remembrance of my husband, David, who died in 1986 at the age of 44. The pattern I used for the bluebird was taken from a coloring book drawing by Florence Sarah Winship. The background fabric was hand-dyed by Carol Eaton formerly of Shelton, CT.

The song, “The Bluebird of Happiness” made famous in 1945 by the opera tenor, Jan Peerce, had special significance for my husband because his father used to sing this song to him when he was a little boy. Sadly, his father died in 1950 when my husband was only 8 years old.

In late 1976, after we had been dating for a few months, I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he asked for a copy of this song. Well, in 1976, the Internet (as we know it today) didn’t exist - and because of that, I spent many weeks of frantic searching, lots of praying and then by no small miracle - in the yellow pages of a phonebook, I found a vintage record shop (over 50 miles away) in Hartford, CT that had the exact song he wanted. Over the phone, the store owner told me he had a record album with the song in it and the album cover even had a picture of a bluebird on it! I ordered it sight unseen! I will never forget the look on my husband's face when he opened that Christmas present that year. It was unforgettable!

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